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SOC 4383: Social Stratification

Semester: Fall 1998 Prof. Brian Fry
Credits: 3 Office: SCI 429
Location: SCI 404 Phone: 491-6655
Time: T H 11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m. Fax: 491-6375
Office Hours: M T W afternoons or by appt. e-mail: bfry@snu.edu




Course Description

 The most basic question in social stratification is: Who get what, and why? Like strata of rock, human beings occupy social positions stratified from high to low. The word "stratification" refers to the act of organizing (or putting) something into layers, but when sociologists use the term, they're referring to a system of social and economic relationships that shape our everyday experiences and life chances. Social stratification indicates that social inequality has become hardened, that the layers of human relationships we've inherited, modified, and maintained over time are institutionalized in some way. In other words, a system of social relationships influences who gets what and why. Social inequality is the condition where people have unequal access to valued resources and positions in a society, but social stratification suggests that that this system is organized by the institutions we establish, alter, and preserve. The Bible addresses the condition and maintenance of social inequality (e.g., about two-thirds of Jesus' parables refer to money) from a moral and social perspective. We will integrate the truths of God's word with the theories and analyses of social scientists.



Course Goals
  1. Understand and compare different sociological perspectives on, and theories of, social stratification.
  2. Use the Bible and empirical studies to assess the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches.
  3. Scrutinize major assumptions underpinning debates over social inequality.



How to achieve these goals
  1. Read all of the assigned readings and understand them before you come to class. If you don't understand something, write it down and ask me about it in class or during my office hours. Look up words you don't know, purchase a sociological dictionary, take notes on what you read, and ask your classmates what they think. I strongly encourage you to take notes on your readings.
  2. Attend class regularly. Attendance is not required, but you are urged to attend since you will be tested on lectures and other class activities, such as video clips and reviews of the readings. The intent of classroom activities is not only to expand on the assigned readings but to elaborate on each topic and introduce issues not dealt with directly in the readings. Lectures and reading assignments are complementary-one is not an adequate substitute for the other. If you miss a class, get the notes from one of your classmates.
  3. Complete assignments reflective of your best efforts and turn them in on time.
  4. Work together. Your grade will be based on your performance, not on how your performance compares with others, as symbolized by "the curve." Thus, you are encouraged to work together and help each other, not compete against each other. Consider forming a biweekly study group or study session prior to an exam.
  5. Keep track of your progress. You can compute your grade at any point during the semester (see below).



Required Texts

 Ehrenreich, Barbara. 1990. Fear of Falling: The Inner Life of the Middle Class. New York: Harper Perennial. Hurst, Charles. 1998. Social Inequality: Forms, Causes, and Consequences (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Sennett, Richard and Jonathan Cobb. The Hidden Injuries of Class. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.



Meat and Potatoes

 The following course schedule is tentative, although I do not anticipate any significant changes. Key: FF (Fear of Falling), SI (Social Inequality), HI (Hidden Injuries), # (chapter)
Week: Readings Assignment Due
8/27 None None
9/1-9/3 SI: 1, 2 Readings
9/8-9/10 SI: 3, 4 Readings
9/15-9/17 SI: 5, 6 Readings
9/22-9/24 SI: 7, 8 Readings
9/29-10/1 SI: 10, 11 Readings
10/6-10/8 SI: 12 Readings, 10/8 Midterm Exam
10/13-10/15 FF: 1, 2 Readings
10/20-10/22 FF: 3 10/22 Preliminary outline and references due
10/27-10/29 HI: Intro., 1 Readings
11/3-11/5 HI: 2, 3 Readings
11/10-11/12 SI: 9, 13 Readings 11/12 Section 1 of Paper Due
11/17-11/19 SI: 14, 15 Readings
11/24-11/26 HI: 4, 5 Readings, 11/26: Thanksgiving Break
12/1-12/3 HI: Concl. 12/1 Papers Due, Oral Presentations, 12/3 Oral Presentations
12/8-12/10 FF: 5 Readings
12/14 None Final Exam, Monday, 10-11:50 a.m.




Course Evaluation

 You will earn your grade by:
  1. Taking a mid-term and final exam. Each exam is worth 50 points and covers all of the assigned material up to, and including, the preceding class period. If you miss one of the exams, see the make-up exam policy.
    2. Total possible points: 100
  2. Writing a final paper and presenting your research and conclusions to the class in the form of a 5 minute presentation. Expectations and guidelines for writing the paper (and presenting it) will be provided during the week of September 15th. The paper is worth 40 points and the presentation is worth 10. Total possible points: 50



Grading Scale
150-135 (100%-90%) = A
134-120 (89.3%-80%) = B
119-105 (79.3%-70%) = C
104-90 (69.3%-60%) = D
89-0 (59.3%-0%) = F

If you want to compute your current grade-at any point during the semester-simply add up your score(s) and divide that number by the total number of possible points. Multiply that number by 100 and compare that percentage to the above grading scale.



Academic Integrity

You are expected to abide by the university's academic integrity policy and computer use ethics statement. These policies are posted in classrooms and the SNU catalog.



Students with Disabilities

 If you need assistance with a disability that may affect your academic progress, I encourage you to contact the Academic Services Center (491-6694). If you have any questions regarding this statement, please contact the academic affairs office (491-6304).



Late Papers

 A late paper will be accepted, but 10 points will be subtracted each class day it is late. If you cannot make it to class on the day the paper is due (sick, out of town, etc.) you can send it to me via fax or e-mail, and then provide me with the original next time we see each other. The paper should arrive no later than one hour after class and must be readable. Please understand that if you do not personally deliver it to me, there is no way to be sure that I actually received it. Also, there are a number of legitimate excuses as to why an assignment could not be finished or delivered on time (e.g., the computer lab was full, corrupted disk, printer was low on toner, sickness, archery accident, car ran out of gas, etc.), but none of these excuses are acceptable. I strongly suggest you complete the assignment well in advance and take all of the necessary precautions (e.g., regularly print your drafts of your paper, make multiple back-up copies, leave extra early for class, etc.). If you are worried about the unpredictable (e.g., waking up sick), I will be happy to accept your paper before the assigned due date.



Make-up Exam

 If you know you are going to miss an exam (e.g., prearranged athletic event, wedding, etc.), you must inform me 7 days ahead of time. I will schedule a time for you to take a make-up exam. If you do not notify me 7 days in advance, I may allow you to take a make-up exam, depending upon your explanation.



Extra Credit

 You can earn extra credit by taking one page of single-spaced notes for every assigned reading during the semester, detailing in three separate paragraphs:
  1. the author's objectives
  2. the author's main arguments
  3. the strengths and weaknesses of his/her main arguments.
I will add between 1 and 15 points to your total score. These notes are due in class by 12/9.




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